The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to catalysts and to carbon monoxide lasers. More particularly, it relates to a method and apparatus for improving carbon monoxide lasers by catalytic or reflective optical means.
2. Description of Prior Art
Since the carbon monoxide laser was invented, it has suffered from operational problems which have prevented it from becoming widely used. The carbon monoxide laser operates best at cryogenic temperatures. This presents obvious practical and economic problems. Operation at near ambient temperature is achieved with a loss of output power and an increase in difficulty. This increase in difficulty includes the requirement for the use of expensive xenon, increased stability problems in the electrical discharge, and a reduction in optical gain. At both cryogenic and ambient temperature, it has been found that an addition of a small amount of oxygen to the gas mixture is desirable. Without the oxygen, the following chemical decomposition is evident: EQU CO+e.fwdarw.C+O+e
where "e" is an electron
Evidence for this can be seen by the collection of carbon on the inside wall of the discharge tube. Also, discharge instabilities are in evidence. The addition of xenon and oxygen to the carbon monoxide, nitrogen and helium gas mix has improved the laser performance, but still not to the point that carbon monoxide lasers have achieved only very limited use compared to the CO.sub.2 laser.
This invention teaches a way of improving the laser output power, efficiency, and lifetime of carbon monoxide lasers.